It recently joined up with the Independent Democrats, led by Patricia de Lille, a coloured former trade unionist.

ECONOMIST: South Africa's local elections

But that is what Patricia de Lille of South Africa's Independent Democrats (ID) received at a recent meeting of the Democratic Alliance (DA), the country's main opposition party, when she indicated that the two parties were close to clinching a formal agreement to co-operate at next year's municipal elections.

ECONOMIST: South Africa's opposition